Cork City 1 St. Patrick's Athletic 0

No time is a good time to have to travel to Turner's Cross to take on Cork City, especially the first game of the season as St. Patrick's Athletic found out yesterday.

Derek Mountfield's team seemed to be suffering from their workout in Switzerland on Thursday night where they lost narrowly to Lausanne and took an age to get a foothold in the game.

In a poor first half the chances that came fell mostly to Pat's. Packie Lynch hit the bar in the ninth minute from a Paul Byrne corner. Mountfield lost his patience in the 35th minute and replaced out of sorts Patsy Freyne with John Caulfield.

The move seemed to do the trick and the home team came out for the second period with a new spring in their step. Mark Herrick was beginning to threaten as he went close in the 62nd minute with a header only to see it cleared off the line.

He got his reward four minutes later and it proved to be the winner. John Caulfield forced a rushed clearance by Crolly which Herrick pounced on and dispatched into the back of the net for 18 yards.

Things got worse for Pat's four minutes later when Stephen McGuinness was red carded for bringing down Ollie Cahill in full-flight. He left the referee with no alternative but to produced a second yellow card and off he went and Pat's chances along with him.

Cork City: Mooney, Horgan, Daly, Napier, Delaney, O'Brien, Flanagan, Herrick, Cahill, Freyne, Morley

Subs: Caulfield for Freyne 36, Moore for O'Brien 90

Goal: Herrick 65

St. Pat's: Kelly, Croly, S McGuinness, Foley, Burke, Byrne, Harte, Lynch, Russell, Garratt, Harris

Subs: Hallows for Byrne 56, R McGuinness for Lynch 56, Drew for Garratt 83

Sent off: S McGuinness 70

Referee: D O'Hanlon (Waterford)